Wednesday, April 23, 2014

I've been working on a new purse pattern lately. It didn't start out that way though.

Originally I was looking through my copy of contest favorite afghan squares, in an effort to use up some of my yarn stash.

I found a square that I quite liked, and worked it up. (You can purchase the pattern here. It's not mine, so it wouldn't be fair or kind to post it here now, would it?)

Once I had the square made, I thought to myself, "Hey, that looks like it might make a pretty cute purse." So, I crocheted two of them together, crocheted a strap or two, added a button, and got my super seamstress mom to give me a little "lining tutorial" and Voila! Purses!

If you've got the square tutorial and would like a little more information on how I did the other parts, read on for my rough-draft notes:

Weave strips together with 4 sc in ends of each strip, three chains in between sides, followed by one round of sc in one loop of all, followed by another round of sc with three sc in each corner--finish off.

Slip stitch the two squares together, with wrong sides facing, leaving top unstitched.

Crochet holders for brass D rings by making 5-6 rows of 4-5 sc. fold over around D ring and sew down. Repeat for other side.

For strap, chain 166, turn and sc in each chain, go around and sc in bottom side of chain. Go another round if you like or want the strip to be thicker. to finish off, sl stitch in each sc around, finish off, thread through D rings, and sew together.

Make lining for purse, secure with snaps, magnetic clasps, a zipper, or a button.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Interestingly, a year or two ago (maybe more--the years kind of run together for me now), my mother-in-law gave me half of an afghan that my husband's grandmother had started before she had passed away.